1. SolidWorks 3D Modeler
for Altium Designer 6

2. Product Overview Installs into the Altium Designer application
Communicates directly with SolidWorks
Allows you to create a SolidWorks Assembly from your PCB design
Allows you to get board outline, mounting hole and component location data from SolidWorks in to your PCB
The SolidWorks Assembly can include pads, tracks, silkscreen and polygons
New PCB Tools feature allows you to start a design in SolidWorks

3. Installs inside Altium Designer
Toolbar is added
Sub-menu is added to the File menu

4. Other sub-menus
Help Menu
Tools Menu

5. Product Toolbar Preferences Height Editor
Update Board Outline from SolidWorks
SolidWorks Configurations
Synch Sw Parts with PCB Parts
Export to SolidWorks
Synch. PCB Parts with Sw Parts

6. PCB Set up requirements
Board Outline
Use Board Shape (if no “cut outs”)
Otherwise, define on a mechanical layer
Cut outs are defined by enclosed shapes within the board outline on the same mechanical layer
Mounting holes are defined by placing pads with a pre-defined designator prefix.
Component heights are entered using the Height Editor (needed if there is no SolidWorks part)

7. Board Outline
Board Outline is defined by an enclosed shape on a mechanical layer or you can use the Board Shape
Cut outs are defined by enclosed shapes on the outline mechanical layer

8. Pad with a special designator prefix defines a mounting hole eg MH2
Mounting Holes
Pad Designator
Pad with a special designator prefix defines a mounting hole eg MH2

9. Height Editor List of Footprints with Heights
Option to save heights to an ASCII file for re-use on other designs
Option to list heights by Designator or Footprint

10. Preferences dialog box
“Whats This” Help
Set color of created parts
Set Mech. Layer for Board Outline
Rule Support Option
Path to search for Sw Parts
Set up Footprint Part Cross Reference file
Directory for Assembly

11. Creating a SolidWorks Assembly
Choose this toolbar button to create an Assembly

12. Assembly with User Defined Parts
Parts from the SolidWorks Parts library
PCB Designators in Feature Tree
Mounting Holes

13. Assembly with Auto Created Parts
Automatically created parts using height and geometry from the PCB

14. Make Changes in SolidWorks
Change to board outline
Mounting Hole moved
Part moved

15. Import Changes to the PCB
Board shape updated
Mounting Hole moved
Component moved

16. SolidWorks Parts Included

17. Advanced features
Model Pads, Tracks, Overlays and Polygons in SolidWorks
Model all holes in SolidWorks including plating
Model Height Rules in SolidWorks
Automatically set configurations in SolidWorks
Bi-directional live updating between PCB and SolidWorks
Load Parts with BOM data from the Schematic to enable a BOM to be added to a Drawing

18. Tracks and Silkscreens in SolidWorks

19. Modeling Pads and Holes
Non Plated Hole
Silkscreen Text
Pad
Silkscreen
Track
Plated Hole

20. Rules in PCB
Region as Keepout
Room for Height Rule
Region as Keepout

21. Rules in SolidWorks Feature representing Keepout area
Boss Extrude representing Height Rule

22. Add a BOM to Table to a Drawing
Press this button to display a list of Sch Parameters
Check to enable this feature
Select parameter to add to BOM

23. BOM Table is Automatically created

24. SolidWorks Configurations
Assembly Configurations
PCB Part Configurations

27. PCB Tools Installs into the SolidWorks Application
Menus added to Assembly and Part
Allows you to create a PCB assembly in SolidWorks and then tag the features as PCB features ready for Import to Altium Designer.
Use the New from Assembly command in Altium Designer to create the PCB.

28. PCB Tools menus in SolidWorks
Sub-menu added to the Tools menu
Part
Assembly

29. Visit www.desktop-eda.com.au
Request a demo with all the product features available for 15 days
Demo has a Getting Started Guide
Download eDrawing Assembly examples
View our picture gallery
On-line ordering